ThePhotoTour.com

High Quality Real Estate Photography Serving Western Washington

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New Customers: To Request Photo Services and a Quote, Please fill out the online form, and click "Submit" at the bottom of the page. (It covers what needs to be done for a typical photoshoot, and will help save time)

If you already know exactly what you need and what times of day are best for your particular home, you can just use my contact form. (The information below may still help you with your decisions)

Or, feel free to call (206) 992-8424 to schedule an appointment. You may want to read through the form below and have that information ready for when you call.

You can also email your request to me through the home page, or use my Contact Form.Please Note: Fields indicated with * at the beginning are Required.

For best results with the interior shots (that have a warmer look) many people agree after seeing the difference that they should be taken after sunset utilizing the interior lighting of the home, (unless for some of the shots you want to show the view from inside.) This is because there is only one type of light source, and you don't have the outside light interfering with what you're trying to photograph.

This is why you get the best results doing at least 2 visits to the home, to utilize the best sunlight times for the exterior outside, and then taking interior photos after dark using the lighting inside.

You can get great results either way, but many people like the look of interiors shot after dark. You can also do a combination of day and night shots, or just one or the other if you prefer.

A lot of people are doing twilight exterior shots, and then shooting the interiors immediately following, to eliminate multiple trips, and save money. For more information, call or email me.

For Best Results: (Helpful Hints for ensuring a good, quick, and successful photoshoot)

If the home faces East, Exterior Photos and single visit shoots should be taken in the morning.

If the home faces West, Exterior Photos and single visit shoots should be taken in the afternoon.

For 2 visit shoots, Exteriors will be taken in the morning or afternoon, and interior photos can be taken at or anytime after sunset, as agreed by both parties.

Especially important note for homes that will have interior shots done after dark: Please make sure that either you or the homeowners go through the house, and check to see that all light bulbs are working.... It is also important to make sure that there is adequate lighting in all of the rooms. It may be necessary to have additional lamps put in the rooms to ensure that the rooms will be well illuminated. Those lights that are burned out should be replaced prior to the photoshoot to ensure that the rooms are properly illuminated for the photos. It is best to also ensure that all of the lighting in each particular room is consistent, (all lights should be the same in each room, incandescent, fluorescent, etc) and there should be no mixing of fluorescent and incandescent lights in a room, as it may create odd looking color casts in the photos. Homes that have burned out bulbs will not only look darker, but the prospective buyers may get a bad impression of the home. If you are working with a Home Staging Service, it is always a good idea to stress the importance that they bring enough lamps and lights for each room.

The best way to go is to hire the services of a professional staging company, as they will go through the entire home and make necessary suggestions and / or do some or most of the necessary changes that need to be made. In many cases they'll bring in some of their own furniture, or they can bring in complete furniture outfits for vacant homes.

If you won't be staging the home, make sure that you at least go through and de-clutter as much of the home as possible, and remove things you wouldn't want in the photos. Convince the sellers that they'll be packing up and moving things out anyways, so the more they can do now will be less they'll have to do later.... It can also make the home look bigger, as the buyers may get the feeling that the home is bigger than it really is, if there is a lot more room in there... Remove unnecessary chairs, sofas, desks, etc that really don't get used every day, and of course taking down lots of family photos can't hurt either, removing stacks of newspapers, trash cans, magazines or anything else you can possibly get out of the way. By nature, we accumulate things in our homes which isn't a bad thing, but when it comes to selling a home clutter can be your worst enemy.

Clutter on the refrigerator door is also a thing you may want to take care of. Also check inside the refrigerator to make sure it is fairly clean... Most buyers won't look inside there, but if there are vast collections of old food, odors can crop up and turn off the buyers. While you're at it, walk around the home and do a "smell test".... Make sure problem areas like cat litter boxes, diaper bins, etc are cleaned up, and kept that way. Nothing turns off buyers faster than a smelly home. If there are strong dog or cat odors, you may want to have the entire carpeted areas steam cleaned and deodorized. Wash the floors, wipe down all of the cabinets and countertops, run the vaccuum, and even have the windows cleaned, if necessary. When it comes time to sell, most sellers are often too busy with their jobs, kids, hobbies and the day to day hustle and bustle of life, and many simply don't have the time to thoroughly clean their entire home.... Some of the best and most successful agents will hire a maid service to do a complete cleaning of the home, which does wonders... Fresh paint, a new or pressure washed roof can literally add thousands to the final selling price of a home, and can really help sell it a lot more quickly...

If the furniture is really old and worn out, if the sellers were thinking about getting some new furniture it might be a good time to do that too.... Get rid of the old stuff, and bring in the new furniture set. You have to look at the changes that need to be made as an investment that will usually pay off quite well.... Anything from installing a home security system or vinyl replacement windows, to replacing the gutters or light fixtures outside the house...Every little bit helps!

Also, if you are able to have the driveways, decks and sidewalks pressure washed before the photoshoot, it can really make the home look much better, and cleaner too. The grass should be freshly mowed and raked if necessary.... Essentially, do everything you can to make the home look its best... While editing can be done to make the photos look better, it is really best to have the home really looking good for when prospective buyers come to see it in person. The photos may get the buyers to show up, but the true condition of the home along with the price is what will really sell it. Make sure the sellers are aware that they need to look at their home from a different perspective, almost as if they were looking at it to buy it all over again.... Make the necessary changes to get the home in its best shape possible, which will in turn pay off many times over with more money, and a faster sale... Nobody wants to buy someone else's maintenance problems, or dirty house.... The right repairs, painting, staging and de-cluttering, along with proper marketing (and good photos of course) ;) can more than pay for themselves, and they can be extremely profitable too.

Owner / Property Contact Name & Phone Number, if you will not be present at the time of shoot.

Select the type of Service You'd like. (Click on the link above for Clarification)

Basic Photography

High Quality Photography Services with full editing and enhancements

Will the Home be staged and/or prepped for photos by the shoot date?

Yes

No

It is Vacant, but I will still make sure all rooms are cleaned, picked up and presentable.

Exterior / Property Photos Only, so no staging necessary

It will be sold as is, and the owner won't do anything.

If the photoshoot includes exterior photos, I will notify the homeowner that all cars / trucks / RVs, Garbage containers and debris will need to be moved out of the driveway & front yard before the shoot, and preferably not be visible from the street

Yes

If Exterior Photos are required, Which way does the Main Exterior Face?

North

NE

East

SE

South

SW

West

NW

Don't Know

Estimate the Number of Photos for this Home / Property

Photo Services (Check those that apply)

I want to wait for good weather with blue skies so my photos will look more natural.

I need the photos as soon as possible, so please edit in blue skies as needed.

I would like 2 visits to the home to capture daytime exteriors, and do night time interiors for a warmer look.

Just one visit is fine, in the daytime.

I would like the exterior shot at twilight, and then shoot the interiors immediately after dark.

I may need more than 2 visits, in order to capture both exterior shots, territorial views, and/or interiors after dark.

The home is elevated from street level, and sits on a hill, so a pole shot may be helpful to get a better view of it.

Other Information You'd Like to Share / or questions:

If you won't be present at the photo shoot(s), Please describe which scenes and/or rooms you'd like photographed. Be as detailed as you'd like.

I understand that photos will be delivered via FTP download, and an email link will be sent to me.

Yes

I will be making payment by:

Check or Cash at the time of the shoot.

I will use my Major Credit Card.

E-Check Online. (An online system is used to authorize debiting your checking account, either each time or automatically charging for each shoot ordered)

Dwolla.com Payment System

Additional Information You Would like to share

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